Childs said: "As a director of UKTV since 2006, I have been consistently impressed by its people, product and values. UKTV already has 10 successful and established channel brands and the growth possibilities are substantial."

The BBC Worldwide chief executive, John Smith, said: "Darren's time with us has been hugely successful and he has spearheaded the growth of our BBC branded channels around the world while maintaining an impressive increase in sales and profit. With a strong background in delivering growth for a large channel portfolio, along with high-level experience in the television advertising market, Darren is expertly qualified for this role at an exciting time for UKTV."

In September the Virgin Media chief financial officer, Eamonn O'Hare, will add the role of UKTV chairman to his responsibilities. As part of the joint ownership agreement between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media, the UKTV chairmanship alternates on an annual basis between the shareholders.

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